Improvement in the manufacture of iron and steel



A ya A i r7'ilitT-Et STATES' PATENT OFFICE. L

ANrHoNYL. FLEURY, or PHPLADELPHIA, `AND CHARLES ADAMS, or Prrrs` BURG, AAssien oRs-froWALDRoR J; CHRYNRY; or PHILADELPHIA, PA.

, IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANU'i-*ACTUREOF IRON 4 AND STEEL.

`. y upecifcutio'n forming part of Letters Patent No. 35,276, dated vMay 13,186'2.

Be it knownthat we, ANTHONY L. .FLEURY of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and CHARLES f ADAMs,of1i ttsburg, in the same State, have invented certain new and useful :Impro veulen ts' inthe Manufacture of Iron and Steel; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, l clear, and exact 'description of the-same, reference being had to, the accompanying draw-` ing, andfto the letters of `reference maried thereon.V I A y Our'invention consists in directing a jet of steam into or toward a pipe or passage, which formsa communication between the `chimney or stack of'alpuddling-iurnace, cupola, blast, or other furnace, and the tire-place of or body f ignited fuel'within the said furnace, so las l Eto impel a portion ofthe products of combus-` t tion alongthe saidpassage and toward the furnace, thereby `causing a partial vacuum therein, and consequently increasing the draft,

l and also.. condensing" the impurities which, in j the form ofpxygen and hydrogen compounds,` areinixed with .the products of combustion,

at the same time the.;carb onic oxideniixed with carbonio acid,"wh icli-mixtureconstitutes the greater portion ofthe products of combustiongis, restored to the furnace, and, while it increases theheat, tends to oxidize the iron `in thefurnace. l v

Ourinvention further consists in introducing throughthe hollow bridge of a paddlingfurnace hydrocarbonalone, or 'hydrocarbon mixed with nitrogenous substancesor deoxidwing-vapors', thereby assisting in' the desired oxidizingfof the carbon in the iron, or in the carbonizing of the steel in the furnace.

VIn arder to enable othersskilled in themanufacture` of iron and steel to practice our invention,we will now proceed to describe the mauner in which it" may be carried into effect.

The figure in the accompanying drawing, which forms'a'part of this specification, represents in section a View of afurnace and appliances for conducting our improvem `ents in themanufacture of iron andsteel.

A rcpresentsthebed of a pudd1ing-furnace,

. of which ,13 is the bridge; C, vthe fireplace; D, the asin-pit, and E `the root'.

F represents a chimney communicating with' the interior` of the furnace; or it may represent a portion `of a blast-furnace, as our improve.

Vbridge and the furnace. Y

' When our improvements are used-1n connecmen-ts are as applicable to the latter and to lordinary cupolas as to a puddling-furnace.4

Trausversely through the upper endof the chimney F passes a pipe, G, which isvslightlytapcredlat theend, this pipe communicating with the steam-space of a boiler.

H is .the feed opening or hopper vthrough which the ore is passed into'the chimney E, v when the latter forms part ofl a blast-'furnace or cupola.`

- I is a pipe communicating with the interiorf, of the chimneyor `stack of the furnace, near" the top of the same, the pipe inthe present instance taking the horizontal direction seen in thc drawing, and then passingdownward adjacent to the puddling-furnace, with which it connnunicates through the inclined passage The lower end oi' the pipe I has Aa branch, a, of diminished size, and is furnished with a of a boiler, and passing. with itstapering-end r through the pipe I in a line with the inclined passage It will be observed that the bridgeB is hollow, and that there are passa-gesd, forming communications between the interior of the tion with a puddling-furnace, "as seen in the drawing. the jetof steamfrom thepipe G, being directed toward the pipe I, will 'cause the greaterportion ofthe products of combustion passingnfrom the furnace 'and upward through the chimney F to be forcibly impelled through the-pipe I, thereby cau ing-a partial vacuum in the furnace, and necessarily increasing the draft.- The .steam from the pipe VI servesanother' purposeffnamely, that of condensing the impurities mixed with the products ofv c`om bustiQ'n-such as sulphur, phosphorus,arsenic,

" &c.in the state of hydrogen or oxygen conipounds. The steam passing through the pipe G also performs the following duty: The greater portion of the products of combustion from the furnace consists of carbonio oxide mixed with carbonic acid, and this also is impelled through the pipe I, and when thevalve b is closed is' returned to the furnace through the inclined passage if. This mixture of carbonio oide and carbonio acid, in connection with the steam, tends to increase the heat of the fire above the grate C, by partially decomposing the said steam, and will alsoaid in decarbonizing the iron in the paddling-furnace.

In manufacturing puddled steel, we introduce into the hollen'Y bridge hydrocarbon alone, or mixed with nitrogenous substanceswsuch as ammonia, cyanides, c.-.-u'hieh. passing c through the openings (I, produce the desired ea-rbonization ot' theirou. Other vapors may be caused to pass into the furnace-as, for nstance, zinc may be placed in the interior of the bridge, and the vapors generated threfroin will tend to deosldizc the iron in the furnace.

The above description refers to our improve iuents as applied' to paddling-furnace. l'twill be readily lseen that by a slight moditication in the arrangements ot' the pipes,r the saine improvements may be applied to" blast-furnaces, cupolas, sc. The pipe G may be continued to sonic distance through the pipe l', and the direction ofthe latter may be changed, as circumstances and the description of fur nace to which our improvements are applied may suggest as the most suitable, the pipes being made. of iron oriormed of bricks or other material suitable for the purpose. The top of the chimney F may be furnished withan adinstable cover, therebyr allowing more or less ofthe products of combustion to pass into the air, instead of through ,the pipe I.

lu blast-furnaces and oupolas the pipe I should lic rendered adjustable, or several pipes-one above another-may forni acoininunication between the pipe I and the chimney, so as to insure the passage of the most available of the products of combustion into the said pipe l.

lt will be readily seen that the propulsion ot the produc s i' combustion through the passage l; by he iet ot' steam, causes a hotblast similar to that produced h v mechanical appliances usually emploii gd' for the seine purpose.

rlflie heat of the "steam may be increased by placing a mass of bricks, coke, or otherequiw` alent substances in a box or reservoir, reducing the whole to a suitable degree ot'heatby an independent tireAplace, or by clbsc proximity to the furnace. and causing the blast to pass through the interstices formed between the pieces composing the said mass of bricks, 'cc.

Xl'c claimas oui; invention and desire to scureby Letters Patent-f l. Directing ajet of steam into or toward a pipe or passage which forms a communication between the vcliiinne),v or stack of a puddlingfurnace, cupola, blast, or other furnace and the lfireplace or body otiguited fuel within the said ilu-nace, so that said steam muy he mixed with a portion o' the products ot' combustion, andthe whole propel led along the said passage toward the furnace, for the purpose specilied. i Introducing through the hollow bridge of apuddlingturnace hydrocarbon alone, or hydrocarbon mixed with nitrogenous substances or deoriidizingvapor. for the purpose specitied.

In testimony whereof 'w have signed our naines to this specitication i n the presence of `two subscribing witnesses.

ANTHONY L. FLEURY. CHARLES ADAMS.

litnessesz HENRY l-lowsoN, J ons Witrrn. 

